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Fast-food protests under way

NEW YORK (AP) — Fast-food protests are under way in cities including New York, Chicago and Detroit, with organizers planning for the biggest walkouts yet in a push for higher wages.

Whether the actions will have any impact on business isn’t clear.

In New York, about 300 to 400 protesters marched and flooded inside a McDonald’s near the Empire State Building. Shortly after the demonstration, however, the restaurant seemed to be operating normally and a few customers said they hadn’t heard of the movement. The same was true at a McDonald’s a few blocks away.

Participating workers, who are asking for $15 an hour, still represent a tiny fraction of the industry.

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour was last raised in 2009.

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